Flat knitting machine



Patented ApI. 9,1940

FLAT KNI'ITING MACHINE Karl Richard Lieberknecht, OIIerlungwitz,Germany, assignor to Kalio, Inc., New York, N. Y.

a. corporation 01' New York Application April 28, 1937, Serial N0.139,571 In Germany April 30, 1936 9 Claims.

The present invention relates to flat knitting 4 machines, and is more.particularly concerned with narrowing mechanisms employing means forpreventing engagenient between certain cf the 5 narrowing pints and thecorresponding needles at proper times during the knitting operation as,

for example, in the knitting.of the diamond DOInI: toe. 1

The object of the present invention is' to pro- 10 viele improvements inmachines of. this general character, wlth a particular view tosimplicity, reliability of operation, and arrangement of the parts insuch positions ais not to interfere with the plain fabric knittingoperations. T0 this 15 end the present invention eomprises the machinehereinafter described and particularly deflned in the claims.

In the accompanying drawing Fig. 1 is a sectional elevatlon of so muchof a knitting machine as is necessary for an understanding of thepresent invention; Fig. 2 is a detail rear view of the needle barandrestraining members; Fig. 3 is a view showing the relation 015 aneedle, narrowing point and restraining member a1: a point II In thecycle of an ordinary narrowing operation; Fig. 4 is a view showing therelation of the parts toprevent loop lifting by the narrowing point; andFig. 5 is a detail view show'ing the cam roller shifting arrangement forcontrolling the re- 30 stra-iningmembers.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the machine comprises theusual needle bar II, spting beard needles 8, sinkers I0, knock-over bitsI2, and narrowing points I4; all of which 35 are adapted for operationin the usual manner. Mounted at the rear of the needle bar in the middlepf euch section of the machine is a bear i ng I II on which a guideI8 is journaled. A slide 20 is provided for sliding movement in theguide, and carries at its upper end a series of flexing or restrainingmembers 22 to be hereinatter described in detail. The slide is providedwith an upper stop 24 which limits its lowermost position Bielow theguide I8 the slide Is provided with a forwardly extending lug 25,provided with a stop s6rew 26, which limits the upward movement of theslide. A compression spring 28 bears at one end against the lug, and atthe other end 50 against a parI; of the needle bar, the action of kmembers 22 normally lie below the knock-over bits I2, and in no wayinterfere with the normal knitting operation.

The restraining members 22 are automatically operate d by means of ashaft 30 which extends throughout the length of the machine and car- 5ries a series of flexible plates 32; underlying the several slides 20.Connected with the shaft 30 is a cam lever 34 carrying a cam roller 36adapted. to be operated by cam 38 on the cam shaft fl0 of the machine.AI; proper times under thecontrol of the pattern mechanism theroller 36is adapted to be shifted. into engagement with the cam 38 by means of alever 42 es shown in Fig. 5. During the normal plain fabric knitting andnarrowing operations the plate 32 is not engaged by the slide 20, butwhen the restraining members 22 are to be brought into operation, theplate 32 is lifted by the c'am 38 into such aposition that upon downwardmovement of the 'needle bar the bottom of the slide strikes the plate32, thereby causing a relative movement between the restraining members22 and the corresponding needles.

Each restraining member as shown in Fig. 3 is arranged obliquely withrespect to its corresponding needle, and is curved rearwardly at itsupper end as indicated ab. The curved portion 44 and a part of the shankof the restraining member are grooved in the rear iace as indicated at46.

For ordinary narrowing operations the narrowing points are actuated inthe usual manner. From' the position of Fig. 3 which illustrates theInitial approach of a narrowing point toward itS needle, the needles aremoved downwardly and forwardly and the narrowing points are dropped intoa position slightly in the rear of the r needles. The needles are thenmoved rearwardly so that the beards are covered by the narrowing points,after which the needles and narrowing points' are further droppedtogether to permit the -narrowing points to enter the previously formedfabric loops. This sequence pi operations and the further operations cfloop liftlng and transferring arecarried out in the usual manner withoutthe interventlon of the 45 restrainlng membs'srs.

When the number of narrowing points in eITective 'operatioh is to bereduced, as in diamond point narrowing, the restraining members arebrought into action. The plate 32 is lifted by 0 the cam 38.'I'herefore, when the needle bar moves downwardly from its positibn ofFig. 3, the lower end of the slide 20 strikes the platze 32. The upperends of the restrainlng members are thus' brought yleldingli intoengagement w1th the shanks of the needles immediately below the beards.but without closing the beards. As the needle bar is then movedrearwardly to bring the needles townrd the narrowing points, such 01 theneedles as havebeen engaged by the restraining members are prevented mmbeing engaged by the narrowing polnts The tipsot the narrowing pointsenter the grooves 46 of the restralning members. This relatlon of theparts is shown in Flg. 4; the needles or narrowing points, or both,belng flexed sufliciently by the members 22 to psrmit this actionwithout damage. The needles, narrowing points, and restrainlng membersa1 e all moved downwardly together into their lowermost position so thatthe unimpeded narrowing points may enter the loops 01 the fabric. 'Iheloops on those needles which are engaged by the restraining members passbetween the needle shanks and the restraining members and under thebea.rds 015 the needles, and are thus kept out of contact w1th thenarrowing points. 'I'he subsequent operations 053 loop liftlng andtransferring are carried out by the operative narrowing points in theusual manner.

During the downwarcl movement from the position of Fig. 4 the slide ishe1d in its ppermost position as determined by the screw '26. Downwardmovement of the slide concurrently with the needle bar is permitted byproper shaping of the cam 38 and also because of the flexibility of theplate 32.

It will be understood that the certain features 01 the invention intheir broa.der aspects and more particularly those fea.tures relating tothe canstruction und arra.ngement of the supporting und actuating meansfor the members 22 are not to be limited in their application to thespecific embodlment illustrated for controlling the operation of thenarrowing points, but may be employed with equal advantage incombination with the bar, spring beard needles, and narrowing points,v

restralning members to prevent engagement between certain of thenarrowing points and the needles, a. slide tor the restralning members,und a mounting for the slide on the needle bar.

3. In a fla.t knitting machine having a. needle bar, spring beardneedles, und narrowing points, restraining members to prevent engagementbetween certain 015 the narrowing polnts and the needles, a. slide forthe restraining members, a

pivotal mounting for the slide on the needle bar. und means for causlngrelative movement between the s11de und -the needle bar to position therestraining members for engagement with the narrowing points.

4. In a fla.t knitting mach:lne having a needle bar, spring beardneedles, und narrowing points. restr.ining members to prevent engagementbetween certainof the narrowing points and the needles, a. slide for therestraining members, a gulde tor the sllde pivotally mounted on theneedle bar means to maintain the restraining members in an ineffectiveposition below the' needles, a.nd automatic means for operating theslide to ansage the restraining members with the needle shanks.

5. In a. flat knitting machine having a needle bar, spring beardneedles, and narrowing points, restraining members to prevent engagementbetween certain of the narrowing points and the needles, and means forsupporting the restraiming members on the needle bar, and controllingmeans operated in timed relation to the needles and narrowing points foractuating the restraining members.

6. In a flat knitting machine having a needle bar, spring beard needlesand narrowing points, restraining members, to prevent engagement betweencertain of the narrowing points and the needles, and means forsupporting the restraining members on the needle bar, and means operatedfrom the cam shaft of the machine for actuating the restraining members.

7. In a flat knitting machine having a. needle bar, spring beardneedles, and narrowing points, restraining members to prevent engagementbetween certain of the narrowing points and the needles, and means forsupporting the restraining members on the needle bar, a cam and camroller for qperating the restraining members, the roller being normallyout of engagement with cam, z md shifting means for engaging the cam androller.

8. In a flat knitting machine having a. needle bar, spring beardneedles, and narrowing points, restraining members to prev.entengagement between certain of the narrowing points and the needles, aslide f0r the restraining members, and a. mounting for the slide on theneedle bar, a flexible platze below the slide, and automatic mea.ns foroperating the plate to engage the s1ide on a .downward movement of theneedle bar.

9. In a flat knitting machine having a needle bar, spring beard needles,and narrowing points, restraining members to prevent engagement betWeencertain of the narrowing points and the needles, a slide for therestraining members, a guide for the slide pivotally mounted on theneedle bar, spring means to maintain the restrainin members in anineflective position be1ow the needles, and automatic means foroperating the slicle to engage the restraining members with the needleshanks.

KARL RICHARD LIEBERKNECHT.

